Railway-switch



(NoModL) ST. JULIEN GIRARDEAU & R. J. MURRAY. RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 596,422. Patented Dec. 28, 1897.

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I WITNESSES: in

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' ATENT OFFICE.

ST. JULIEN GIRARDEAU AND RICHARD JAMES MURRAY, OF GALVESTON,

' TEXAS.

RAlLWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,422, dated December 28, 1897.

I Application filed December 23, 1896. Serial No. 616,797. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Sr. 'JULIEN GIRAR- DEAU and RICHARD J AMES MURRAY, citizens of the United States, residing in Galveston, county of Galveston, and State of Texas, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Railway-Switches,of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to that class of automaticr ailway-switches which embody a mechanism carried upon the car and adapted to engage an operating mechanism connected with the switch.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and improved automatic safety-switch mechanism of this character which will'enable the motorman or conductor to conveniently and accurately insure the proper setting of the switch without leaving his position, which will reduce the labor of operation to a minimum and lessen the liability of danger or accident, which will enable effective operation even if the switch be submerged from view by water or otherwise, and which will, furthermore, possess advantages in point of simplicity, quick and positive action, convenience, inexpensiveness, effectiveness, and general efficiency.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the end of a car provided with our improved switch-actuating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the switch and its operating mechanism. Fig. i is a detail perspective View of the thrower or swinging arm which e11- gages the switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional View taken longitudinally on the plane of the main rock shaft ends of the bars M are pivotally mounted or rod.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same letters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the front end of the car, having the end platform a and dashboard a, in relation to which our improved operating mechanism is arranged.

B designates a main operating-lever which is pivotally mounted in upright position at the front of the dashboard, the top end of said lever being housed in a limiting-guard 0, adapted to be centrally engaged by an automatic clasp-spring I), carried upon the lever and adapted to retain the same in normal central position with relation to the guard. The lower end of the lever is connected with the front end of a main horizontal rock shaft or rod D, arranged in a longitudinal plane under the car and supported by and having bearings in transverse brackets E E, depending from and below the bottom of the car.

Upon the rock-shaft D, preferably intermediately between the supporting-brackets E, a transverse thrower or actuating device F is secured. This device embodies two oppositely projecting downwardly extending arms ff, carrying at their ends flanged wheels G, as shown. The member F is preferably secured upon the shaft or rod D by means of a set-screw h.

I designates a coiled spring which is mounted upon the shaft D and has itsends respecti vely secured to one of thesupporting-brackets E and to the member F, as shown at i and 2". This spring operates to normally return the rock-shaft and thrower or member F to normal position after operation of the mechanism.

We prefer to retain the rock-shaft D in position by means of collars J J, secured by setscrews j and arranged with relation to the supporting-brackets E E, as shown.

K designates a transverse sliding bar which is mounted with relation to the track and is pivotally connected to two pivoted switchtongues L L.

M M designate two bars which are longitudinally arranged with relation to the track and at the respective sides of the latter and have their front ends pivotally connected to the sliding bar K, as shown at m. The rear upon a transverse stationary bar or plate N, as shown at m.

In Fig. 2 we have illustrated a slight modification in the construction of the main lever B, the latter being provided with a gooseneek curve 3 near its lower end, which will permit play of a loose draw-head. In Fig. 1 the lever is of a continuous straight construction adapted for use in connection with other types of draw-heads.

The operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood.

When the main lever Bis thrown from the center in a right-hand direction to the limit of play permitted by the guard O, the rockshaft D is correspondingly actuated, which causes the right-hand arm f of the thrower or member F to move downwardly, so that its flanged wheel G comes into contact with the outer edge of the right-hand connecting-bar M, and as the flanged wheel travels in relation to said connecting-bar it bears laterally against the same and causes a pivotal movement, which actuates the transverse sliding bar K and sets the switch-tongues L L at each side in position for the right-hand track. A reverse operation of the main lever B will cause'a setting of the switch in opposite position. When the hold upon the main lever is released, the mainspring I automatically returns the mechanism to normal position, when the clasp-spring b will centrally engage with the limiting-guard O and lock the lever in normal central position with relation thereto.

It will be noted that in our invention the operating mechanism is located beneath the car in position for direct engagement with the switch-controlling mechanism, which insures simplicity and convenience in construction, and an adjustment of the actuating member F in a longitudinal plane upon its rock-shaft to insure its perfect operation with relation to the pivotal connecting-bars M M is enabled by means of the set-screw connection h. The automatic return of the mechanism and operating-lever after operation effected by the placing of the governing-spring in direct connection with the member F and the rock-shaft and the automatic locking of the lever in normal position are important features and advantages of our improved construction and arrangement. These features obviate any necessity for the operator to return and lock the mechanism in its normal position and insure the immediate resumption of its normal position by the actuating member F as soon as the flanged wheels of the latter are released from lateral pressure upon the pivotal connecting-bars M. The

improved construction and arrangement comprising fianged wheels adapted to bear laterally upon the switch-actuating mechanism also insure a more positive and effective operation than is accomplished by similar mechani'sms in which operating wheels or rollers bear downwardly upon the switch-actuating mechanism. It will also be noted that in our improved construction and arrangement simplicity and inexpensiveness in construction are insured by reason of the fact that all the switch-operating mechanism is located above ground, and the employment of the doubleswitch-tongue construction as comprised in our improvements also insures a safer and more positive setting of the switch.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent In combination with-the car, the hangers under the platform at one end having central bearings, and with an open space between said hanger and the platform both vertically and laterally of the rock-shaft, the rock-shaft supported by said bearings, the thrower consisting of the arms extending laterally from the rock-shaft to each side of the same, the flanged wheels carried by said arms, the lever having the lateral gooseneck providing an opening in line with the open space of the hangers to permit the arrangement of a drawhead, a single spring coiled about the shaft for returning the parts to normal position, and the pair of switch-tongues at opposite sides of the track to be operated by the flanged wheels, said tongues being adapted to remain in the position in which they are moved by the flanged wheels until they are again operated thereby.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

ST. JULIEN GIRARDEAU. RICHARD JAMES MURRAY.

WVitnesses:

HENRY JAooB LABATT, EUGENE ALsToN HAWKINS, Jr. 

